Meteorites of the Past
by Yoshi Okami
Summary: Yoshi can't remember who he was before Cloud and the others saved him. A year and a half later, they want him to have a normal life instead of mystery. Can he let go of his past or will he abandon a future with his friends? OC story. 1st Person POV. Yuffie pairing.
1. Failed Memories

_Hey there! This is my first ever story that I've worked up enough courage to show the public, so try not to be too hard on me, haha. It's hard to believe that it's been 15 years since Final Fantasy VII first came out, it's left some of the greatest memories of my childhood embedded in me. So I figured, why not, I'll try and write a story._

_I'll go ahead and say this now. I am writing this for fun, not for recognition. If you don't like my story, that's fine. But don't review it and make it extremely negative without positives, you'll only be wasting your time, mine and everyone else's. There are 36,000 other FF7 stories to choose from. I don't care if you don't like the way I portray the characters in the story, there are ridiculously wacky stories on this site that are extremely far-fetched and are more critically appraised than my story. I try to keep them in character as much as possible, and mostly to how I remember them. If you don't like it, then please find another story. Thank you._

_I am open to constructive criticism as necessary, so feel free to alert me of mistakes I've made in my writing. I've gone over this chapter probably five times just to be a perfectionist haha, but I'm not a very good writer in third-person and omniscient point of views. If you have any questions about things you do not understand about my story, feel free to message me and ask (as long as it is not spoiler related). Please bear with me and I hope you enjoy it. _

_Anyways, this story is about my OC Yoshi, set a year after FFVII and just a few months before Advent Children, who has a life of mystery surrounding himself. As he struggles to discover who he is, he pushes away those who had grown to care for him (namely our heroes). Will he be able to find it within himself to let them into his shell of a life? Or will he forsake his only friends in his quest for self-knowledge? Hopefully we'll find out._

* * *

Gusts of wind washed against me as I rummaged through the surrounding wasteland of Midgar. My lungs expelled a deep sigh, so much was destroyed nearly a year ago, and for what?

The tattered grey scarf of mine just kept flying with the wind, trying desperately to escape. That familiar, yet still mysterious, wolf insignia distorted like waves of the ocean.

My eyes got back to the task I came here for, to keep searching for clues to my past. I pulled out that note I was mysteriously left all those months ago and opened it again.

_To Yoshi…_

_I really wish you wouldn't go…you don't have to go out and fight a battle that has nothing to do with you. You have a place here with your family, your friends, and me…_

_But I suppose I couldn't change your mind no matter how hard I try, once your mind is set, there is just no arguing with you! I'm sure you'll be alright though, as long as they don't put you on the front lines against Shinra._

_I'll wait for your return. Come back to me safely, Yoshi._

_From, Yukina._

Sigh, I've been looking for months for some sign of where I used to live or where this girl Yukina is…but Cloud told me that the Wutai War started seventeen years ago. Yet, I look like I'm just under twenty. This didn't give me any confidence whatsoever, but it's not like I had much of a choice to decide what to do.

This girl has to have had a family by now or moved somewhere from wherever I was before. Even if she is alive by any means, I very much doubt she would remember me at all. So, perhaps it's not my goal to keep looking for what my life was like before…all of this.

But what good would it do me to give up now? It seems like it's the only motivation I have left anymore. Well that's not true, the others also gave me a reason, and they were my only friends…so I fought for them.

"What?" I turned when I heard pebbles move in the distance. Reaper gave off that familiar gleam the blade reflects, drawing it on guard. "Who's there?" I said as a demand rather than a question.

There was no answer. A second later, a wolf-like dark beast lunged at me, roaring and snarling. I blocked its teeth with Reaper, trying to keep it from pushing me off the edge of the cliff. Its eyes were filled with animalistic rage and adrenaline, but I held it back with my strength.

"Stay out of my way!" I knocked it back with the momentum of Reaper and slashed into its tough flesh. The grotesque monster howled in pain. My muscles used its cybernetically enhanced power to throw the beast off the edge of a nearby cliff, the blade leaving its body and sending it to the ground many feet below.

I exhaled in relief, and then wiped off the blood on the blade of Reaper. At times, I forget how dangerous the wasteland is, even after everything being in so much ruin.

"Gah!" I fell to my knees, my chest writhing in agony. All I could hear was my heartbeat over everything, loud and stong enough to be considered an internal earthquake. The pain was always getting a bit worse each time. It took a few moments, but I recollected myself and breathed the pain away as always. Then my eyes came upon those familiar, yet disgusting, black sores on my chest.

Geostigma. That's what it's being called lately by the news. The world has been rapidly infected by it shortly after the Meteor was destroyed. I'm unsure as to why it happened, all I know is that everyone else and myself are suffering as well from it.

It seems like Cloud and the others have been trying to look for a cure, but there's been absolutely no luck. If we do find one, more than half of the population will probably be dead by then. What a nice thing to wake up to.

A tone rung from my pocket, seems like someone was calling me. I flipped it open and saw that the caller was Tifa. It's been a while since I've talked to her, so I pressed the answer button and listened.

_Hello? Yoshi, are you there?_ _It's Tifa._ Her voice seemed a bit distressed to me, but I acknowledged with a simple "yeah".

_Hey, if you're not too busy with your clue-searching, do you think you could head over to Edge? The new bar recently got opened up and it would be great to see you again._ She said with a hint of hopefulness in her tone, sounds like she's been doing a lot of work since our last encounter.

_Marlene talks about you a lot, saying she misses messing up your hair and teaching you things._ She giggled slightly. I frowned some, it was irritating whenever she did that, she was a sweet girl, but she knows how to get on my nerves _too _well.

_So…how about it? If you were any quieter, I would have to start calling you Vincent._ Tifa said as a joke. However, that also irked me too, I don't have anything against Vincent, but I'm not as brooding as him.

"Sure." I said, giving in to her demands.

_Thank you, Yoshi. I'll see you soon, can't wait! Bye!_ She said cheerfully before hanging up. My phone lid closed and slid back into my pocket. What would they do without me? I turned the ignition for my motorcycle, revved it up and sped back towards Edge.

* * *

Once I got into the city, I saw many citizens walking about on their business. Most were children, and of course those children were orphaned from when the Plate fell and even more after Meteorfall. Everyone had worked hard to start building up this city since then, the orphans salvaging things from the Mako leaking ruins for food and money.

You can't help but commend them for their bravery, knowing full well how dangerous that place was. Not only that as well, the Geostigma infections were rampant throughout here the most, so almost everyone was infected. It made me always wonder how they have such a will to carry on, even when things still seem pretty bleak.

People were dying, and it had gotten bad enough to where people just keep walking on, continuing throughout their day as though nothing had happened. It was beyond miserable, it had become routine.

It reminded me why I tried to avoid this city, there was too much pain here and it only reminded me of why I was here.

The bar was close up ahead so I parked the bike in the alley just near. There was a girl holding onto a Moogle Doll with a younger boy sitting alone, the boy was infected with Geostigma.

It didn't feel right to see them looking so pitiful, so I walked over and handed her fifty Gil. The girl looked at my hand for a few moments and then to me with unsure eyes, but smiled, "Thank you sir!" She gave me a firm hug.

I stood there, not sure what to say but simply patted her back twice, "You're…welcome…" The girl and boy ran off to get some food presumably, or whatever else they could get with that amount of money. After that, I made the couple of steps and opened the door to 7th Heaven.

Inside, it was freshly refurbished, much more so than the previous bar Tifa had. Sure enough, right in front of me was Tifa, cleaning up the tables. She wasn't wearing that familiar white tanktop, or her black mini-skirt.

No, she updated her outfit, naturally. Maybe I should have done that too…

"Hey, you're here!" She said, stopping her cleaning and running up to me to hug me even harder than the girl from just a few minutes ago. What is it with people and hugging me today?

"What's up?" I said simply, looking away a bit and crossing my arms. She looked up at me with a smile, as though she had been down all day and needed the cheering up I brought to her, apparently.

"Oh, just looking after Marlene, Denzel, and dealing with Cloud's nonsense like always." Tifa sighed tiredly. She had a lot on her plate. "You look exhausted too, and no offense, but you smell…" She averted her eyes and covered her nose.

I shook my head and closed my eyes, everyone loves to poke fun at me for no apparent reason.

"There's a shower upstairs, so why don't you wash off and I'll give you a massage after, talk about why I asked you here, okay?" She closed her eyes and smiled.

"Uh…Okay…I guess…" I said awkwardly, unsure of what to really say. The shower part was nice though, something I've needed.

"Top of the stairs, first door on your left." Tifa said, going back to finish washing up the tables.

I nodded and placed Reaper with the blade folded in, to the corner of the room and made my way to the bathroom. I stripped myself of my scarf and jacket, slid out of my white shirt and denim pants, and took off my canvas shoes. After turning on the water, I stepped into the refreshing water and washed myself off.

The whole time, I thought to myself. Why was Tifa being so nice to me? Why did she call me here? Most importantly, why is she offering me a massage?

My hair clung to my skin, having grown a bit longer in the past couple of months. All this thinking made my head hurt, and suddenly my chest had another Stigma attack. "What the hell…ugh…"

I tried to wash the black sores as much as I could, but it was no use, it only dulled the sensation temporarily. My hand turned the water off, grabbed a towel and dried myself off, slipping the towel around my waist.

Once outside the bathroom, Tifa called to me from her bedroom, "Over here Yoshi!" She sat on her bed with her shoes and socks off.

I somewhat nervously walked into her bedroom, step by step. "Have a seat with your back facing me, please." She said.

So, I sat down carefully as she asked, back facing her. "Tifa, why are you-" My voice cut out when I felt her gentle hands massage my aching back.

"Why am I what, Yoshi?" The curves of her soft hands massaged deeper into my back.

"…never mind." I said, disregarding my question.

"Okay then silly." She smiled a bit, "Anyways, I called you here because I know you've been working nonstop to find out about your past. Personally, I believe you've been working too hard and you need to take a break."

Her hands glided carefully over my spine, tender with care, avoiding the scars that were present. Whether it was out of careful consideration or disgust, it didn't matter to me. "Besides, Cloud recently opened up a delivery business, delivering packages around so people don't have to worry about the dangers of monsters in the wasteland and such. Strife Delivery Service…I'm busy helping him and taking care of the kids, so I was wondering if you could help me run the bar."

Ah, now I see why she's coaxing me up with the massage and such now. I crossed my arms, "Please uncross your arms and relax, you're too tense." So, I did as she asked.

"I know you don't have anywhere to stay Yoshi. Cloud is always gone on deliveries, Cid's busy working on the ship with Barret, Yuffie went back to Wutai to figure out more about Geostigma, I have no idea where Cait Sith and Nanaki are, and Vincent…well Vincent is hard to keep up with. So, you can stay here with us if you want." She said softly as her hands worked on my shoulders and neck.

I sat there and thought. To be honest, I really hadn't gotten anywhere in my search for answers, so maybe it wasn't a bad idea to stay here for a while, get some responsibility in and help out.

"Plus, you'll get to meet new people, and maybe even find a girl you like." She teased at me. "Though, I don't think Yuffie would like that."

I tensed up again and looked at her questionably. "Oh I can tell, Yuffie bothers you the most out of any of us, I bet your phone can back me up too. Relax." As much as it irritated me, she was right. I must have had twenty unread texts and several voicemails from Yuffie. It was more difficult to relax again this time.

"The point is Yoshi, you may not be able to remember the memories of your past, but you are more than capable of making the new ones you have right in front of you." She smiled as she massaged more into my shoulders.

I couldn't help but sigh. "I suppose…" I said simply, giving in as always like the sucker I am.

"I knew you'd come around!" She wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a hug, shortly before planting a kiss on my cheek. "You're the best Yoshi!"

My eyes looked away with slight frustration, "What can I say…"

* * *

"Here's your room Yoshi, I'm sorry that it's so…bland though. We've never really had an opportunity to set up this room or even use it yet." Tifa said somewhat nervously for some reason.

"No, it's fine. I prefer it this way." It was plain and simple, perfect for me. I looked back over to her, "What's wrong?"

Tifa's eyes seemed so sad, "Huh? Oh nothing's wrong, just thinking to myself. I'm going to get back to work, so why don't you rest up for tomorrow morning? I'll let you surprise Marlene tomorrow. Okay?"

I nodded to her and she nodded back and walked past the doorway, "Goodnight Yoshi…" she said quietly before shutting the door.

I sighed deeply, talking to her was really difficult for me to keep up, and she always reminded me of some person, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I put on my extra pair of clothes and laid on the bed.

My phone flipped open so I could check my messages. All of Yuffie's messages consisted of many "hi" messages or similar to those, except her latest one.

_Hey Yosh~! Guess what? I'm gonna be back in Midgar in about two days, so I hope you're ready to see me, don't plan on hiding from me this time! I'm the mighty ninja Yuffie, so I will find you! Kay, byeee! _

Great. Just what I need, a crazy seventeen year old Wutai princess to irritate the hell out of me. Wonderful. This was sent yesterday, so really I only have until tomorrow…damn.

I deleted all the "hi" texts and saw some other texts as well, there was one from Cid.

_Hey kid! Whenever yuh get done with findin' yer anwers and all that &#* about yourself, why don't you bring your scrawny ass and come check out the Shera? She's a real $*$&& beauty, you'll be one of the first to see, sides Barret of course. Still not ready for flight though, but it won't be much longer, heh! _

I could almost hear his text in that southern accent of his, such a mouth on him. But he was pretty funny, for an old man.

Another from Barret.

_YO! When the hell you coming back to Edge? Marlene wants to see you, how can you break her heart by not showing your face around? Get yo ass back here and make my daughter smile! I gotta help Cid out with his ship, so I'm counting on you!_

I guess I couldn't help but chuckle a bit, everyone put so much emphasis on Marlene. But I could understand why, she was very young and needed someone to play with during these hard times. I'm probably older than everyone in our group (except Vincent and maybe even Cid) and even I can't help but feel so empty with all the destruction that's happened.

Finally, there was one last text from Cloud, his being the most recent.

_Hey, heard you just got back in town. I wanted to ask you a favor. Can you take care of Marlene, Denzel and Tifa? They really need a man around the place and I'm not able to do that right now, there's too many deliveries going on. I'd really appreciate it Yoshi. Thanks._

That's kind of strange, normally I would picture Cloud as the guy who could handle anything. There was probably more going on than him just being on deliveries all the time, but it was none of my business.

My hand felt the pink band tied around my left arm. We all took her death really hard, but he took it the hardest out of everyone, maybe not visibly, but emotionally. Perhaps that's why he's distanced himself more. I sighed, not wanting to think about any of it anymore, closed my phone and finally my eyes.

Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day.

* * *

_Please review my story if you like it and have some constructive advice to help._


	2. Responsibility

_Hey, chapter two is up now. Been hard to write lately but my semester of college is over for now, I'll try and write more for the time being. For now, enjoy haha._

* * *

"No!" I sat up quickly, drenched in sweat from my nightmares. My body still felt twisted from the memories of being drilled, sawed and cut into. I sighed, holding my head in my hand, trying to get my heart rate back down.

The morning sunlight hit my eyes, so I stood up and stretched with my body still aching. Then came the customary Geostigma attack and recover, the pain only getting slightly worse each time.

I could hear muffled voices coming from downstairs, so I assumed that the bar's already been opened up. Knowing this, I put my shoes on but left my jacket, wasn't really necessary to take it with.

After I made the small journey downstairs, I said, "Hey." Big mistake.

"Yoshi!" I could hear that familiar voice yell excitedly before I was tackled. Trying to constrict me like a snake was none other than Marlene. "Where have you been? I've missed you!"

I kneeled there, not able to say much, "I've been busy." My voice came out rather monotone, more so than usual.

Marlene looked up at me with a sort of frown face. Her hair had gotten longer since I've seen her, it was tied back in a braid, very similar to Aerith's hairstyle with a ribbon tying it together.

"Well, I'm glad that you ARE here now." Her face buried into my shirt, I could feel her tears soaking in. It did make me feel bad, so I gently rubbed her back as she let her feelings out.

To the left of her, I could see a young boy with brown hair, a bit older than Marlene. "You must be Denzel, right?"

He nodded slowly, but unsure to talk to me. "I'm Yoshi." He remained quiet, so I didn't try to bother him anymore.

Tifa watched me from the bar counter, with her "Aww" face. I frowned greatly, not wanting to show any affection.

"Did you find anybody yet, Yoshi?" Marlene asked to me.

I shook my head, the common answer that could only be said. Marlene seemed a little sad too, "Don't worry, I know you will. I'm really happy that you came to see us though." She smiled that innocent smile we all know and love.

My hands picked her up and plopped her on the counter as I went to Tifa, "So." I said simply.

"You know, it's cute seeing you with her, she really looks up to you, hope you know that." She teased at me as always.

My eyebrow twitched, I persisted again. "So…" I tried to establish what she wanted me to do.

"Ah, right. Just take over the counter, pour what people want and hand them any food they ask, get the money, and smile!" She smiled as an example, but all I could do was maintain a blank face.

"We'll work on the smiling part later, alright? I'm going to go take some calls and help with the delivery service, good luck! Oh yeah, and make sure you take some girl's numbers, just don't let Yuffie know. It'll be our secret." She giggled before running off.

Anytime she mentioned Yuffie, I wanted steam to blow out of my ears. Marlene looked over to me, "Do you like Yuffie?" She asked to me softly.

I got frustrated again, but not so much because it was only Marlene. "No, I don't." I put off somewhat coldly, she raised an eyebrow. I humored her, "Why?"

"Oh nothinnng, she talks about you a lot, and sometimes her face is red if we mention you." Marlene giggled, having a blush on her face.

I shook my head with irritation, "I don't care." I began to pour some drinks for customers. Marlene seemed disappointed but, like Tifa, she was bound to mention it sooner or later again. Sooner in her case.

"Are you gonna go on a date with her when she gets here?" She asked, blushing a bit more.

"What the…no!" I said with intense frustration as I tried to serve out drinks, some looking at me very uneasily.

"Why not? She's pretty, funny, and she's a princess! If you go out with her, that'll make you like a prince! Isn't that cool?" Marlene smiled at me with bright eyes, almost twinkling.

Marlene was much worse than Tifa, because unlike her, Marlene doesn't give up that easily at cracking my shell.

At this point, I started ignoring her as I helped with people, taking some tips and all that business, anything to help Tifa out.

* * *

A few hours later, I see a girl come in and I recognized her right away. It was the girl with the Moogle Doll. She saw me right away and looked down for a while before nervously approaching me. I leaned over on the counter.

"…?" I waited for her to say something to me.

"Um…I wanted to thank you again for helping me and my brother yesterday…" She said to me, hugging her doll close to her chest.

I shrugged, "Don't worry about it." I reached behind me and gave her half a loaf of bread. I kept my finger against my lips.

She nodded quickly, "Thank you." The girl pulled herself up some on the counter and kissed me on the cheek before running off.

"Hey!" Marlene yelled from out of nowhere. "What was all that?"

I shrugged and washed off the counter with a cloth, trying to ignore her again.

"Don't shrug at me! I sure hope you're not cheating on Yuffie!" She said with a ruffle on her frown.

My face blanked with irritation, "For the last time…I am not going out wi-" I was stopped short when I noticed who was in front of me now.

"Going out with who?" The ninja girl of Wutai said with an irritated face to me.

My eyes narrowed and I crossed my arms. "I'm not going out with anyone, and when did you get here?" I asked very sternly and serious like.

Marlene looked at both of us in extreme curiosity as Yuffie placed her hands on the counter, leaned towards me with her eyes narrowed too. "Just a few seconds ago."

"Oh! Hi…Yuffie?" Tifa's voice seemed to break when she noticed me and Yuffie staring at each other with irritation.

"You know, it's kind of annoying when you don't answer my texts or call me back, Yoshi." Yuffie said with a growl in her voice.

"It's also kind of annoying when you text me or call me too much." I said in retort, also growling slightly.

"Oh yeah? Well you're just jealous, cause all the guys love talking to me! I'm a babe, remember?" She grinned, trying in vain to spark some kind of emotional response out of me.

"When I care, I'll be sure to let you know then." I said with an annoyed tone in my voice. Yuffie growled, always trying so hard to one-up me.

Our eyes were locked in a staring battle, unable to focus on anything else. We irked each other so much with our personalities that we couldn't stand it.

"Guys!" Tifa said loudly, snapping our gaze from each other. "Can you two not fight right now? We're supposed to be happy to see each other!" She tried to get us to get along.

"Hmph." Yuffie and I said simultaneously, both crossing our arms and turning from each other.

"I'm gonna go smoke a cigarette." I said walking off.

"And I'm gonna go unpack my things." She also walked off.

So, I made my way up to the roof where I could be alone, where I was best at feeling comfortable. I sighed in relief and took out a pack of cigarettes from my jeans' pocket.

I struck a match between my index finger and my thumb, it burned a bit but not a lot. The cigarette lit as I puffed in, and breathed the smoke out of my lungs.

A wave of easiness washed over my body as I calmed down some. The sun was not well present, another cloudy day, and another busy one at that.

Cranes were putting up building materials, shops were trying to start their businesses, and so many people were trying to work together for the sole purpose of repairing their shattered lives. I should probably take some time tomorrow and go help out, Yuffie could use something to do around here anyway.

Smoke left my mouth again as I finished my cigarette, putting it out and heading back inside. Before I could get downstairs, Tifa stopped me and Yuffie was with her.

"Okay, I have to tell you both something. Since both of you are going to stay here, you both will have to share the same room." Tifa said to us with a bit of authority.

"What? Why?" I said. Yuffie wasn't as quick to respond.

"Because, you are in the only guest room we have, you are both guests, so it makes sense for you both to stay in the room." She covered her mouth, probably snickering at her evil plan.

My face was blank with irritation. "There's only one bed in that room Tifa…"

Yuffie turned away some.

"You're just going to have to make do Yoshi, it's not that bad. Maybe you'll warm up more to her then." Tifa giggled and blushed slightly.

I growled. "Whatever. I'm going out for a while. I'll be back later." I grabbed Reaper and left the bar before they could ask where I was going.

* * *

The day was half gone but there was no sign yet of the darkness creeping over the Planet, only with the exception of the seemingly ever-constant hazy overcast.

As I walked to some nearby construction sites, I thought to myself. Maybe I am too hard on the others, they try so hard to cater to my situation and personality, and all I ever do is take them for granted.

It wasn't in me though to show compassion, I'm just a rock. I'm not supposed to feel anything, not happy or sad. My hand gripped my arm, feeling all the cybernetics inside of it. Cold as steel, which was all I ever was and ever will be.

Still, I should do something for them to repay their kindness. As much of a loner as I am, I wouldn't be here were it not for them. They could have left me in that damned Mako tank and would have never needed me.

What could I possibly do for them though? Hm…I think I got it, but there was something I had to do first. I jumped on my motorcycle and headed to the Sector 5 church.

* * *

My foot kicked the stand down as the bike went to sleep. I looked up at the massive church, it was remarkable to see still, all the destruction and this still stands tall above the rummage.

My hands pushed open the tall doors, seeing the two columns of chairs and the ray of sunshine falling upon that familiar small meadow of beautiful flowers. It was always the only place, but I guess it was all because of Aerith.

There was always something about her that was magical, not because she was a Cetra, just because she was so pure-hearted at the same time. That's why I've come here, to ask her for help.

I stopped just in front of the meadow and laid Reaper down on the floor, beside the flowers. I kneeled down and closed my eyes in prayer.

_Aerith…I don't really do this a lot because I would never want to waste your time. But…I wanted to ask you something._ My own thoughts seemed to betray me.

_Do you think I'm worthy of having a real life? The nightmares I have tell me that I am not meant for that road, but it's always bugging me. I feel stuck, unable to feel or care, but unable to die and end the pain. Could I be normal? I mean…I don't know...I don't even know what I'm saying anymore…_ I sighed at that point, until I felt sunlight shine on me. My eyes opened and I looked up to that blue sky above me.

A creak uttered its way to me from behind, I grabbed Reaper, releasing the blade and aiming it behind me. I didn't expect to see who I saw.

I recognized that spiky blonde hair anywhere. It was Cloud.

My arms lowered Reaper and retracted the blade again. I looked at him questionably, wondering why he was here and I'm sure he was thinking the same thing.

"How did you know I was here?" Cloud said simply. I saw no trace of the Buster Sword on him.

"I didn't. I came to pay my respects to her." I said with sincerity, turning back to the meadow. "Cloud. What are you doing here? I thought you were on deliveries."

He walked beside me, looking at the flowers shining with radiance. Finally he sighed, "I moved here. I had to take time to think things through, and I'm trying to find a way to help Denzel."

I turned to him. "What's wrong with him?"

He turned back. "He has Geostigma."

I winced a bit, seeing what he was getting at. "I see now. I'm guessing you have it too."

Cloud nodded. "What else did you come here for, Yoshi?"

I crossed my arms, "I'm trying to find a way to repay Tifa and Yuffie, mostly Tifa, for their hospitality."

Cloud looked at me for a while with those shining blue eyes of his. He took a few steps and picked some of the flowers and handed them to me in three bouquets. "I know they'll like this. As for Yuffie…"

He walked over to a chest and opened it. It shined multiple colors, full of Materia. He took one out and tossed me a green one. "In case if the flowers don't get her, that will." We both gloomed a bit, remembering her fascination for Materia as well as stealing our own.

"You know, you should take her on a date Yoshi. Maybe it would do you both some good." He said, smiling slightly.

I grumbled and scratched my head a bit. Cloud shook his head. "Yoshi. Please don't tell Tifa that I'm here."

I looked at him again and crossed my arms, nodding after a moment.

"Thank you." He said. "Also, here." He handed me a strong metal rod. "Give that to Denzel for me, alright? Just say it's from you." I held it for a moment, but nodded.

"Alright. Thanks. See you later, Cloud." I said before leaving the church.

* * *

It was dark by the time I got back. Most of all the busy people were inside for the night, but some were still walking around and working.

I parked my bike and grabbed the three bouquets, slipping the green Materia in one for Yuffie and making sure I had the rod.

As I walked into 7th Heaven, I saw that the bar was done for the day. Tifa and the others were talking at the counter until they saw me come in.

"Hey Yoshi! Are you alright?" Marlene asked to me as I stopped in front of them. I nodded once.

"I uh…got these for all of you." I looked away as I handed Denzel his rod, a bouquet for Marlene and Tifa, and the Materia bouquet for Yuffie. "Wanted to say thank you for doing so much for me."

Tifa and Marlene were speechless. "You went all the way to Sector 5 to get us these? Thank you Yoshi!" Tifa and Marlene both hugged me simultaneously.

Denzel looked up at me curiously, for some reason he didn't want to thank me, but he did anyways. "Thank you…" He acted differently around me.

Yuffie had sparkles in her eyes. "You got me flowers AND Materia? Wow, you're really something else Yoshi, thank you so much!" She hugged me very tightly and I tried to breathe.

"Okay okay, jeez." I sighed. "Well, I guess I'm gonna go sleep. I'll see you in the morning." I took Reaper off and headed upstairs.

Once I got in my room, I took my shirt off and put on a tanktop to sleep in, as well as some loose pajama pants.

I laid down in the bed, knowing soon that Yuffie would have to come and join me.

Sooner than I expected, she walked in slowly. "Hey…"

She looked at me for a while before I understood what she was silently asking me. "Oh. Sorry." I turned over so I couldn't see her.

I could hear her unbuttoning, unzipping and sliding her clothes off of her, following clothes sliding back on her. My eyes remained closed so I could give her as much privacy as I could.

After a few minutes, I felt the bed shift some as she slid into the bed. I laid on my back and stared at the ceiling.

Yuffie seemed to stare at me for a long time, strands of her hair sprawled across her pillow. She seemed to be thinking about something for quite a while until she slowly wrapped an arm around me.

What was she doing? Is she crazy? Her eyes looked at mine for a long time, saying silent thoughts.

"Do…do you mind if I hug up to you…Yoshi? It helps me sleep better…" She asked very softly to me.

When she puts it that way, she makes herself out all innocent about it. I didn't really want to and this was VERY uncomfortable for me. At the same time, I suppose it couldn't hurt for me to say alright. So, I nodded slowly.

Her body pressed against my side more, and then her head laid on my shoulder. "Thank you…"

I remained quiet, unsure of what to say. Her warmth was very soothing, I could feel her fingers fiddling with the side of my torso as well.

I could hear her heartbeats getting faster as each moment passed, and I felt myself becoming more and more uneasy.

"Yoshi, are you-"

"…Goodnight." I said finally to break the awkward silence and closed my eyes.


	3. Trying to Let Go

_Here is chapter three. My updates are going to take a bit longer after this chapter, but it shouldn't be too bad. I will still be writing though, so try to enjoy this for now._

* * *

My mind was cloudy and broken as I awoke, strapped down on a bed. _H-Huh? Where the hell am I? _I struggled to get free, but my body was weak and already aching.

_Is the patient secured for the procedure? I grow tired of waiting._ A man's voice said with a despicable tone.

_Yes sir, shall I inject the subject with the proper sedation? _A young woman said, holding a syringe. My heart rate began to increase.

_No. The test subject must be able to endure the pain if he is to pass my expectations. _The grizzled man walked next to me with a clipboard in hand. _ Let's see, Subject Nineteen, right? Perhaps you will do better than the last eighteen we were "unsuccessful" with. If my theory is correct, then we will have found an answer to avoiding the necessity of death._

The woman sighed, _Yes, sir._

A buzzing sound started to whirl, and my breathing escalated three times as fast. The man grinned evilly, _Don't worry. This will be over soon._

* * *

My body shook violently and I could feel sweat pouring over me like the ocean in my nightmare. All I could hear was the sound of flesh being cut apart and drilled into.

A girl's voice screamed my name, calling for help. All I could do was scream in pain, but the nightmare wouldn't end, all this suffering and I couldn't wake up.

"Yoshi!" I jumped and sprang up out of my sleep. My heart was racing and felt like it was going to jump out of my chest.

"GET OFF OF ME YOU BASTARDS!" I threw the person off of me to the ground, violently. Rage filled my body as I prepared to take my vengeance.

However it was short lived when I realized that I had made a terrible mistake. I had gotten so caught up in my nightmare, that I threw Yuffie to the ground.

She sat there, looking at me with terrified eyes and her back against the wall. Her eyes were swollen with tears and her body was shaking.

My eyes and body couldn't stop shaking, but it took me a few moments to come back to reality again.

I couldn't say anything, except to try and adjust. Once my head cleared, my body remained numb.

"Yuffie…I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you…" I was unbearably ashamed of myself to have done that to her. There was a reason why I didn't want to stay in the same room with her, and now my fears had been confirmed.

She sat in front of me, still quiet with tears in her eyes.

I didn't know what was going on, just the sounds echoing in my mind over and over again.

After a moment or two, I looked away. "…Forgive me. I didn't mean to…do that." I covered my face into my hand with deep amounts of stress.

"Are you okay…? You were mumbling a lot in your sleep until you started screaming, I got scared…" Yuffie's body still trembled as she looked at me.

It made me feel miserable, I didn't want to put her through all of this. This is why I insisted on us staying in different rooms, but of course Tifa just couldn't allow it.

My eyes closed, "…I don't really know any more." There wasn't much I could say, after all I tried my best to go without sleep as much as I can. Sadly, I can only succeed for so long with that strategy.

Yuffie seemed disheartened by my answer, but continued to persist. "Um, well how long has this been going on?"

"Every single time I've slept, since we departed a year ago." I let out the words with pain, it takes me normally five minutes roughly to stop trembling.

Yuffie eyes focused more on my body with a sad expression, eyeing my surgical scars. "I wish I could help…"

I couldn't take the stress anymore so I stood up and walked towards the window.

There wasn't much I could think of to say, "Yuffie, take this room. I don't want to burden you with my defects. I'm sure it won't be an inconvenience for me to stay on the rooftop."

Yuffie walked around the side of me, looking up with sad eyes. "But Yoshi! It's okay, really! It's really not a problem..." She tried hard to win me over with her argument.

All I could do was sigh, grabbing my things. "I knew I shouldn't have come here." I said coldly, mostly towards myself. "I'm sorry." I hurried out of the room before she could argue again.

* * *

The sun was out today, a nice change of pace from the abundance of clouds. Everyone was hard at work today, so keeping my word, I had asked one of the store owners to help with the construction of his store.

With a sledgehammer slugged on my shoulder, I helped with hammering the bolts into the framework of his walls. It was good to keep myself busy with this labor.

Even though I tried to hide myself from it, the morning kept crawling back into my mind.

I was always so rude to Yuffie, but it just…felt so natural to me. What I don't understand is why she keeps trying to help me. Why? I'm just still as much of a stranger as I was when the group found me. All that showing off…and hearty arguing…it made no sense.

Even still, most of the time I was a jerk to her, I honestly didn't mean to be. It just felt like my subconscious was forcing my attitude to her, instead of trying to ignore her more.

But now after what happened, I wouldn't be surprised if she never talked to me ever again. I could have _killed her _had she not have woken me at the time. Damn it…I need to stop getting close to people.

Maybe it was better this way.

The clanging of the metal frames reinforced my thinking, until I noticed I had been hammering the same bolt for five minutes in. I need to stop thinking so much…

"Hey, whatcha doing out here?" Marlene's voice said from behind me. Did she really come out here to find me?

"Working."

"Why's that?" She asked.

"So I have something to do."

"Because?" She pried more.

"So I have some purpose around here."

"Or are you trying to avoid us?" Marlene was more insightful than I remembered.

I sighed. "No."

"What then, Yoshi?" Marlene sat in a chair, watching me work.

"I just feel it's better without me being around all of you so much." I kept hammering, switching to another bolt.

"You're starting to sound like Cloud." Marlene said with a bit of venom in her words.

"…" I didn't know what to say to that, so I just kept working to avoid the awkward silence.

"Well, Tifa made you a glass of lemonade for your hard work. She wants to talk to you whenever you come back home, okay?" Marlene said, laying a glass filled with ice and lemonade nearby.

I was quiet at first, but nodded in agreement, still working away.

"Oh, and I hope you're feeling better from this morning. Bye Yoshi!" She ruffled my hair and ran off to play with Denzel and some other kids who were waiting.

I stopped and stood there for a while. So, she heard it too. Well, just more for me to deal with later, I guess.

Not wanting to refuse her kindness, I drank the glass of lemonade and went back to work, finishing thirty minutes later.

"Sir, I've finished for today." I said to the store owner, laying his sledgehammer in his recently finished office.

"Ah, good! Here, allow me to pay you for your services." The old man started counting some Gil coins.

"That's alright. I don't need any, sir." I said firmly.

"But young man…you worked hard when you didn't have to. In my opinion, the man who sweats for another man's labor, deserves reward for his effort." This man persisted.

"Still, it's okay, keep it. You need it more than I do, sir. Goodbye." I left, the old man still confused my by motives naturally.

* * *

I suppose it was time to face the music and head back to the bar. Undoubtedly, there was sure to be lecturing a plenty.

Once I stepped inside, surprisingly, there was no one there to tackle me or yell at me.

The bar was actually empty and not Tifa or anyone else was in sight. I placed the glass she gave me on the counter and went upstairs to investigate.

I went to the guest room to change out of my sweaty clothes from working all day until I found Yuffie asleep on the bed.

At first, I wasn't really concerned until I noticed her pillow was soaked. Further examination showed that she had tears coming from her eyes.

I didn't know what to make of this, or why she was upset. It was better if I didn't bother her at all, so I quietly grabbed a shirt and a pair of pants and slipped back out.

I took my shirt off, but before I could get to the bathroom, I was stopped by Tifa. "Yoshi, please come in here for a moment, would you?"

"…I suppose." I walked in, waiting for her to say what she needed to.

"What were you having nightmares of?"

It felt very uncomfortable to think of what went on in my mind, especially of the horrible things I've dreamt of.

"…Things that happened to me...against my will." I said slowly.

Tifa looked for a long time at my torso, observing all the incisions that had been stitched up, made worse by the disgusting Geostigma sores.

"I only remember the agony of going through it. All the pain." I gritted my teeth, I couldn't imagine how long I had to endure without any numbing.

Even today, my body was constantly in pain from it. I suppose I've just learned to suppress the feeling of it all.

"I'm sorry, Yoshi. There's no way I could imagine how that feels, but I just want you to know, that all of us are here to help you. I know you don't want us to, but we are going to anyways." Tifa smiled a bit, trying to lighten my mood.

I sighed. "It's pointless to try, but fine. Just don't set your expectations too high." With that, I ruined the mood again. Like always.

My back turned to her as I started to leave, but I felt a hand grab my wrist. I stopped.

Tifa said, "Please don't push Yuffie away. She wants to help you." I stood there, looking blankly into the wall ahead of me.

There was no way I could possibly understand what reason she has for trying to help me. I was still broken about this morning, and it was one of the few times I've ever been sorry for anything.

I kept walking on, soaking in her words, but changed and went to the roof to be alone.

Once up there, I lit up another cigarette and breathed in, keeping it in my mouth to think.

* * *

It was cut short when I heard the door to the roof open, when my eyes opened, it rested firmly upon a sniffling Yuffie.

My heart sank inside of itself seeing her in such a sad state, I deeply regretted letting everything happen since last night. However, she walked up to me and slowly spoke.

"I know you're just trying to protect me and all because of what happened this morning, but I really want you to reconsider your decision about staying up here." She said, spinning a bit to make herself feel better.

"Yuffie, I really don't think-"

"Please? It would make me feel a lot better if you would just try!" She exclaimed with her energetic personality and wiping away some tears.

"I…" What could I really say? No? Always putting me on the spot like this…She looked at me with pleading puppy dog eyes.

"Damn it…" I gave in. She jumped happily and hugged me.

"Don't worry! Nothing bad will happen, okay?" Yuffie grinned as she looked up at me.

I looked down at her vibrant and cheery face. To be honest, I wanted to believe her, that it would be alright and things would go back to their (relatively) normal process.

Deep down, I knew the nightmares would not go away. There was no way I could convince her otherwise, and I'm just going to have to deal with that.

Instead, I closed my eyes and nodded with a sigh. Her head then rested against my chest, "Thank you for listening, for once."

* * *

My body rested in the bed , trying to fall asleep but my thoughts weighed me down. I was afraid to sleep again with Yuffie beside me.

If only she made things easier for me instead of trying to control my every action. But nooo, Yuffie just has to make my life difficult.

My eyes shifted to the side, looking at her as she slept. Her head rested comfortably on my shoulder, drooling a bit on me. Jeez.

For some reason though, seeing her sleep kindled some small warmth inside of me. I just…felt more at ease. What's wrong with me?

"Yoshi…" Chills ran down through my body when I heard her saying my name in her sleep.

I stared at her for the longest time, seeing that familiar blush, wondering why she said my name. My heart started beating faster and felt heavy.

Was…was she dreaming about me?

I watched her for a few more moments until…I felt my hand gently caressing her face. I had not realized that I felt the warmth of her radiant skin until I pulled my hand away.

What was I doing? Ugh, I need to get a grip on myself. I'd rather deal with the nightmares than this.

My eyes closed with my heart feeling warm.


	4. Revelation

_Finally, chapter four is here! This one took a lot longer than I expected to write, but things are starting to pick up and develop. Hope you find it interesting, enjoy!_

_Also, I wanted to say thank you to everyone who's been following this story for it's relatively short existence haha. If you can, review the chapters, I'd like to hear your thoughts._

* * *

A cool, refreshing aroma filled the air, blossoming like a rose in the summer. The sweet scent entered my senses, bringing about a wave of relaxation from the long hardships I've endured. It all seemed so familiar to me but was far away from reality.

My feet were bare, resting against the soft and lush grass of this exotic land. Falling petals danced through the winds, as though they were in synchronization with each other. It was a beautiful sight to behold, staring at the vast meadows and untouched nature from the harshness of life.

I closed my eyes, soaking in the peace and tranquility this environment was offering me. There was a sense of hope and elegance that could have been pursued here.

There were happily chatting people nearby, talking of the blossoms that were growing nearby. Some girls had collected them for their scents, others for their beauty. The women were tending to the children and caring for the elderly.

The men were working on the field, harvesting food for the nearby village. All of them, men and women, were smiling with a great sense of gratification as they went along their business.

Any of them that passed me always bowed in respect before moving on to their lives. I couldn't understand why they paid any attention to me, for I was nothing but a common person to them.

Maybe they were so content with their lives that they could afford to make anybody else's better with little to no effort. Was that the effect that happiness and worth could have on people? It seemed trivial to myself, but it was alluring nevertheless.

I began to give in to the sensation and idea of peace, as I fell to the waves of grass.

* * *

Again my eyes opened, with another dream having passed. Surprisingly, I didn't awake drenched in sweat or with my heart pounding out of my chest.

No…I was actually…calm? This has never happened to me before…so how is this possible? My hand patted on the bed, and it was actually dry and not sweaty.

Yuffie wasn't anywhere in sight, which didn't really surprise me. Maybe I still had some nightmares, but I just couldn't remember having them. This was weird…

Last night…the feelings still sorted through me without control or reason. The feeling of her soft and warm skin…her scent still lingered on me, but I shook my head and tried to stop thinking. It was foolish.

I could hear the pouring of rain slamming against the building from outside, which was unusual considering it didn't rain very often in Midgar.

My chest wasn't hurting nearly as much as the past couple of days have been to me, sure the grotesque sores were still there, but the pain was only a fraction of its regular severity instead.

Seems like today is going to be pretty interesting. So, I got dressed and got myself downstairs to see what was going on for today.

The bar was pretty damn busy today, customers were scattered everywhere and talking about topics ranging from literature to the construction of late. Most of them were obviously sick from Geostigma, but it didn't matter much to me.

"Hey, good morning! Looks like you slept well." Tifa popped out from behind the bar after handing some drinks to patrons.

I didn't really know what to say, that was unexplainable at the moment to me. So, I just shrugged. "What do you need me to do, Tifa."

"Just some bar work, Yuffie is taking over as a waitress." Tifa gave a slight smile.

My eyes turned to her, she was taking orders on a little notepad, I thought that would have been difficult for her considering how fidgety she is. Despite her energetic spinning and occasional mishaps of hitting her head, she was actually able to focus on the job.

"Marlene and Denzel are also helping out today, so try and go easy on them, okay?" Tifa pointed out the two little kids, handing food and getting alcohol out.

"Alright, I got it." I said. She nodded before heading off to do her own job with the deliveries.

After taking a deep breath, I put my grey scarf on and started getting to work. The days of work seemed a little bit dreadful, but the work always got stress and thinking off of my mind, most days.

"Hey you!" I felt a somewhat gentle punch on my left arm. "Glad to see you not freaking out for once in the morning!" Yuffie said happily.

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, sure. You need something?"

"Oh yeah! Um…" She looked back to her notepad. "I need some wine and scotch."

My hands grabbed the two items from the inner counter's cooler and handed it to her. "Anything else?"

"Nooope! Think that's it for now, thanks!" She ran off, nearly tripping along the way. I sighed and shook my head.

An older woman sat at the counter in front of me, "Excuse me young man, could I have a beer?"

"Yes ma'am." I grabbed one out of the cooler and popped the cap off for her, "Here you go."

She smiled and took it before stopping to look at me for several moments, "Pardon me, but where did you get that scarf?"

"Huh?" Why was she concerned about my scarf? My hand felt the charcoal gray texture and that black wolf symbol. "I sort of found it, I guess." In a sense, that was true. This was one of the only few things I had when I woke up out of stasis from the Mako Pod, as well as Reaper and my clothes of course.

"That's something I haven't seen in a long time…" The woman remarked and began to think.

"Could you please explain what you mean?" I asked, growing ever more curious.

"That wolf symbol on your scarf, it's from the Okami Clan of Wutai."

My eyes widened a bit, but I tried to remain as calm as possible. "Could…could you tell me more about this clan?" All of my attention had been garnered towards her now.

She rubbed her chin and began to think, "Of course, of course! Now let's see…this was such a long time ago, so it's hard to remember…ah yes! The Okami Clan was one of the most famous families in Wutai, and some of the most powerful as well, considering they were nobles."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing, someone knew who I was? Well, I can't say she knows who I am specifically, because if so, she probably would have recognized me if I was famous.

"You see, the clan had power of some provinces in Wutai, were loyal friends and supporters with the long line of Wutai's leaders for many generations. The most recent leader who was familiar with them, was of course Lord Godo, I assume you know who he is." The old woman smiled a bit, looking towards Yuffie and knowing who she was.

Yuffie's father? That must mean that he knows where I could find more answers…but then it hit me.

"You say that they 'were'."

The old woman's smile faded. "Yes…it wasn't until Shinra came along right when Lady Yuffie was born, they invaded our homeland." She made a deep sigh. "Wutai sent its best soldiers, and the youngest Okami son enlisted to fight as a warrior as well."

"What happened?" I asked somewhat impatiently.

"He disappeared less than a year later, missing ever since Lady Yuffie was but a baby."

Ironic she says that, when she's sitting right in front of him. Jeez, I really am old…

"As for the rest of the family, I'm not sure what happened to them either. They just...faded away. It took a huge toll on the people's morale and we lost years later, but this was all before you and Lady Yuffie could possibly remember anything." The woman sighed, drinking some of the beer to ease her tension.

My mind seemed to blank out the more I thought of this…I was part of a noble family? I sure couldn't see myself as that. Her answers were a bit cryptic, but I had finally made progress.

"Thank you, ma'am. I'm glad I learned something new today." I tried to fake a slight smile, that wasn't enough so I grabbed a beer and started drinking to calm my nerves.

"It's my pleasure young man, always nice to see the young carrying on traditions." She smiled before bowing and then to Yuffie on her way out.

The young carrying on traditions…sounded a lot like Yuffie. In a way, I was glad to know more about who I was. Then again…it only brought me more grief anytime I found answers. There were never any postives.

It didn't seem like there was ever going to be a happy ending for me, only to keep searching for lost truths and an empty life, so there was no further reason for me to stay here now. I looked to Yuffie, who was happily blabbing on to the customers and being obnoxious.

I sighed, knowing that there would be no convincing her that I had to go away, Tifa and the kids would probably be just as unforgiving as well. So, I suppose I would have to leave without saying good-bye. These thoughts pressed on as the day slowly continued on.'

* * *

"Hi Yoshi!" Marlene broke me out of my trance.

I snapped back to attention, "What? Oh…hi." I took one last drink and started cleaning some glasses to refocus.

"Is everything okay? You seem more stressed out than usual." Marlene frowned a bit and poked my face.

"I'm fine, but I will get stressed out if you continue to poke me…" Once again, Marlene was successful in her nonstop quest to irritate me.

"Come on, I know something's wrong!" She poked harder. "You're not like, 'I don't care' or trying to ignore me." She impersonated me.

Boy, she can read me like a book, can't she? I kneeled down next to her and placed my hands gently on her shoulders.

"I'm sorry." Those were the only words that came out of my mouth, slowly. Her gentle eyes looked into mine with many questions developing inside of her, but I think deep down, she knew what I was really trying to say.

I stood up and looked at her for a few moments, before I smiled slightly and patted her head. With that, I placed things back and headed back to my soon to be vacant room.

It made the guilty feeling inside of me grow, but my mind was set, and I couldn't let any of them stop me. My few outfits filled my bag up, slung onto my back with Reaper secured as well.

My hands opened a box of Gil I had been saving for a trip, and it seemed as good of a time as any to start using it. With the money put away, the only thing left was to get my keys.

Of course, I forgot where I put them. I checked my jacket, pants, bag, and it wasn't in any of them. Damn it, what did I do with them…

A jingle danced into my ears from behind me. Don't tell me…

I turned around and there to greet me, were the kids, Tifa and Yuffie. At this point, I wanted to start cursing like Cid.

"You're leaving us? You BASTARD, how dare you!" Yuffie yelled at me, grabbing me by my jacket and trying to look up at me menacingly. She was much too short to do that, I should have been frustrated, but I remained apathetic.

My eyes closed with a sigh, I nodded. When they opened again, all I saw was Yuffie just staring at me, trying to understand why.

"But…I don't understand…" She said somewhat weakly, choking a bit on her words.

"Me neither…" Marlene said with a soft and sad voice.

Denzel remained quiet, looking at me with a questionable look but sighed, as though he was used to this.

Tifa also remained quiet, but her look was more serious. Surely, she had wanted to stop me, but didn't.

"There are no words I could say that would help any of you understand at all. You just have to understand that I am meant to be alone. That was how I was when you found me, and that's how I will always be." I spoke from my heart, trying to reason with them, even though I was the one being unreasonable.

Yuffie's eyes began to swell with tears, as did Marlene's. My words hurt them, but that was the only way that I would be able to get them to listen.

"I am grateful that you saved my life, I truly am. But time has passed me by, the best that any of you could do is to disregard me. Think of me as a book, with its pages erased and tattered, only a scrawl of the title remaining. No one wants anything to do with something like that." I spoke of myself very bitterly, conveying my point that it was useless to keep me around except for jokes and laughs.

Strands of tears painted themselves down Yuffie's cheeks, her chocolate eyes filled with vibrant sadness. It killed me to see her like that, but I pressed on.

"I hope you will find it within yourselves to forgive me someday." I sighed before gently taking the keys from Yuffie. "Goodbye." My feet carried me out of the room, downstairs and out the front door, the rain falling onto my grief-filled body.

The key turned in the ignition, slowly coughing the bike to life. My hair stuck like vines against my body, covering my face in shame.

Cloud isn't going to like my decision to leave, but then again, he never seems to like anything other than saying "Alright everyone, let's mosey". I'll have to tell him anyways, it's the least I can do.

I kicked the stand up, ready to start my journey out of here.

"Yoshi wait!" Yuffie's voice yelled out to me before she jumped next to my bike.

My eyes looked to her from my hair, "Yuffie, please just-" She cut me off by wrapping her arms around my body. I stayed quiet, staring at the raindrops falling against the ground.

Her heartbeat was so loud and fast…it echoed like a storm through my body. The warmth of her body stood out from the cold rain pouring on us, making me feel strange again like last night.

And her aroma…she smelled sweet like cherry blossoms…my eyes couldn't help but close and take in that familiar smell.

Her hands gently laid against both of my cheeks as she looked at me with a mixture of tears and raindrops on her face, "You know I won't give up on you, no matter what you say, I won't let you abandon me."

I stared in disbelief at her, after all the mess I put her through the past few days, and she still insists on helping me? Why couldn't she just accept that I am not meant for a life with people?

"You may treat yourself the way you do, but I will always care about you. You can run away like you are now, but I will still find you. Do you know why?" She asked me with a stern and unswaying attitude.

"It's because I am Yuffie Kisaragi, and I never let anything I care about go." She smiled a bit, before planting a gentle and warm kiss on my cheek.

My heart stopped for a moment, blanking out at her words. No matter what I did…she never quit. Her soft lips seemed to mold to my cheek, as though it were a blessing.

She finally parted and looked at me for a long time. "Goodbye, Yoshi…" She bowed slightly before backing away a bit from the bike.

The engine continued to rev, and I slowly but uneasily nodded back to her, before the bike rolled on its way out of the alley, towards the highway.

* * *

Her words kept bouncing around in my head, unable to comprehend her feelings for me. I wish there was some way that I could have agreed with her, or that she would listen to what I was trying to say.

However, I doubt that would ever happen, it was always left at an impasse. It was sad, but it was for the best, I suppose. If only she were easier to understand...

The way to Wutai was going to be a long one, and without an airship, it was really going to be a pain.

* * *

A few hours later, I managed to arrive at a dock, the captain was nearby so I approached him. "Excuse me sir, are you traveling anytime soon?"

The captain grumbled some, "Yeah, I'm delivering some supplies down to Costa del Sol and up to that damned Wutai nation. Why, you need a ride up there?"

I nodded once, "Yes, sir."

"Bah, alright, but it's gonna cost ya a bit of money, yeah?" He stood up and dusted himself off.

My hand grabbed some of the Gil I had saved out of my jacket and handed it to him as payment, "I'm sure that will do."

He nodded a bit, counting it out. "Alright, get on board and we'll be off soon. There's some quarters below deck, pick one out and settle in. We'll get your bike on the ship."

"Thank you." My feet walked across the wobbling ship and going down the stairs further into it. I found a room with a hammock to sleep on, so I laid Reaper beside me and placed my bag away.

I let out a long sigh once I laid down, feeling some peace at last. My eyes closed, but kept thinking about the others. It took a while but I started to get more fatigued with all the swaying, finally resting into my subconscious.


	5. Fragmented

_Chapter five. This one was a little easier to write to me. Read it, review it if you want, and enjoy. I really need to play FFVII again._

_Also, I'm sorry that I can't write in another point of view of the story. I just really don't know how to, and I find first-person much more personal._

* * *

Turquoise sailed the sky above me, with clouds of white surfing along them. It was always beautiful here, never ceasing to fall into disarray like other settlements. It was a relief to find such inner peace, even if only for a mere moment.

With my eyelids shut, I listened. Not to what the other villagers were saying to each other, and not for the festival going on in the village. No, I listened to the Planet.

It was as though the Lifestream was calling to me, beckoning out for me to answer back. The call was like a symphony of voices, an orchestra of harmony.

I didn't know how to answer though, only listening would suffice. After all, how else could I communicate with a higher force such as that? Praying? I don't think so.

The meadow rustled beside me, I figured it was probably some kids running around and being hyperactive, so I paid no attention to it.

Once the rustling stopped next to me, I began to get a little irritated. So, I waited for whoever it was to go away. Sure enough, the person did not leave.

"Pardon me, whoever you are, would you please continue what you were doing earlier somewhere else? I'm trying to enjoy my time out here…" I said with my eyes closed. It was difficult trying to maintain civility in my words, but of course, I had to.

I heard a gentle laugh as this nuisance continued to mock me. The vein in my forehead began to bulge and twitch with irritation.

"Alright, I tried being nice. Who are you?" I opened my eyes, and the light filled my eyes too fast, so all I saw was white at first. After a bit of squinting however, I saw a slender and tiny figured girl, looking down at me from an upside-down view.

Her hair was a vibrant violet color, luscious with the longer hair falling down her back. The bangs fell just short of her eyes, with the sides progressing past her shoulders. She wore a bright kimono of white and teal, flowing almost like the clouds above us.

It was her eyes though…that captivated me. Such a deep royal purple, screaming out just how gorgeous she was, like she was teasing me.

She tilted her head to the side, giving a soft laugh and a white smile. "What's wrong?"

I hadn't noticed it at first, but my mouth had been open in awe the entire time I looked at her. Embarrassment began to show itself on my cheeks as I quickly stood up, trying to hide my blush.

"Erm…uh…forgive me, my lady. I did not mean to be so rude to you…" I nervously bowed in respect to her, apologizing.

"My lady?" The beautiful girl giggled a bit. "I knew you were formal, but I had no idea it was like this." Her hands tied gently behind her, curving her frame a bit more as she observed me.

I felt my insides tighten up, looking away from her eyes that made me feel insecure.

"Well yes…as a member of the Okami clan, I was raised to be civil and polite." I didn't really like talking about me or my family, there was always so much…expectation that the others saw in me.

"But, may I ask, who are you?" I asked again, this time with much more care.

Her thin finger tapped her lips, thinking to herself. "Hm…well, maybe I'll tell you who I am…" She held back her words on purpose, toying with me.

I dusted off my dark grey kimono from the grass, still waiting.

"You've got to catch me first! See ya!" She laughed cheerfully before running through the tall grass of the meadows, hair and kimono flowing.

I stood there with a confused face. "Catch…her?" Was this...but a game to her? That made as much sense as trying to run on water.

"Giving up already? I should have known…" She said, taunting me with her tongue stuck out.

I growled, "I don't give up!" I started running after her, more by the challenge rather than knowing her name now.

I saw her grin light up, "Good!" The girl started running again, laughing the whole time.

"Now I got you!" I pounced and tried to grab her, but missed and only got a face full of dirt instead.

Her laugh steadily kept going, "You'll have to do better than that."

"Why you…" I jumped back up and started running faster again, more determined from being made a fool of. After a burst of adrenaline, I finally caught her.

"Got you-" I was cut short as we started rolling down the small hill, ending with her landing on top of me.

"Oops, I'm sorry! Are you alright?" She sat up, looking at me as I laid on the ground.

I wasn't hurt at all, but nevertheless, I just stared at her. She seemed to glow from positive energy to me, and it was always what I focused on.

"Yeah…I'm fine…" I smiled, laughing a bit.

She smiled back, looking at me for a long time as well rather than trying to say anything else.

"My name is Yukina Fuyu. It's nice to meet you."

* * *

Loud ringing tones woke me up, my eyes instantly squinting from the light reflecting off of the sea. "Damn it…who's calling me?"

I tried to reach and grab my phone, but I couldn't move my left arm to grab it. "Great, something else I have to fix." Instead, I took the long reach with my right arm and answered it quickly.

"Hello?" I asked.

_Yoshi Okami. I never thought you would pick up!_ That mature voice was recognizable, only known by the name of Reeve. _How are you?_

I sighed a bit, still not wanting to really talk to anyone. "Fantastic." I said with an unenthusiastic tone.

He chuckled slightly, _Ah I remember that wit of yours, very classic. It's been quite some time since we have spoken together. Tell me, where have your travels taken you to as of now? _His voice was still kind and caring, unlike those he had previously worked with.

"Costa del Sol." I said firmly, it wasn't exactly the place I had in mind, but was necessary in my goal.

_Really, are you taking a vacation? I'd imagine that would be excellent timing now. _It was hard to tell if he was joking heartily or trying to be serious, I often found him treading on that fine line.

"What is it that you want, Reeve? If you're calling about Cait Sith, no, I haven't seen him." I said, trying to move my left hand and arm. It was still paralyzed, damn calibration must be off.

_Ah, not at all Yoshi. Cait Sith is here with me, so he's alright. What am I calling you for is regarding a more serious matter. _Reeve said with determination in his words.

"Very well. Go on." I listened.

_I'm sure you're aware of this already, but I have founded an organization known as the World Regenesis Organization, or WRO for short. Our goal is to restore the world from the damage caused by Shinra, and to restore balance and peace as well. _He remarked upon this, starting to get at something.

_I have seen firsthand your capabilities as a warrior, and I wished to extend an invitation to join us. The skills you possess would be a great asset to us, and to all of the people we aim to help. _Reeve finally made his point, and awaited an answer from me.

"Reeve…you do understand that I cannot accept your offer. I know that you are a good man and I know you mean well with your intentions." I sighed, but continued my own retort.

"But you know that I cannot trust anyone who was tied to Shinra, it's nothing personal with you. Only a vendetta I carry towards them…" I said with no sense of returning my statements.

It took him a few moments, but he finally answered. _I understand Yoshi, please send my regards to the others. Take care._ He said before finally hanging up.

Reeve really was a lot different than all the other Shinra scum I had become shortly acquainted with, but I could only tolerate him despite his attitude. I'm sure he would understand.

I closed my phone and put it back into my pack with my right hand, then grabbed one of my scalpels, stitching tools and bandaging. Then, I stretched out my left arm and began cutting down from my wrist halfway down my arm.

There was never any pain, all the nerves in my arm had been severed long ago. After a bit of slicing, the cybernetics in my arm was exposed, showing all the technology that had been integrated inside of me.

A quick observation showed some loose, unconnected wires that had detached themselves from the calibration system of my arm. It was always a common nuisance, but an easily fixable problem.

With a bit of dexterous tinkering, I reconnected the ten wires or so, regaining movement of arm and hand. I didn't really care though, it was bound to happen again sooner or later, so I finished stitching up my skin and wrapped the bandages around my arm to keep it from ripping back open.

"All passengers on deck, prepare for departing. We're about to dock on Costa del Sol." The captain spoke over the intercom.

That was my cue to get up, so I slung my pack on my back and left my room. I made my way back up to the deck to find the captain at the navigating wheel of the ship.

"Captain, how long will it be before departing again?" I asked to him, holding my pack behind me.

"Well, we gotta deliver all the goods to the stores around town and help stock up, so at the very least, it won't be until the end of today. Listen for the bell ringing, that will let you know." The captain said, still steering us to finish docking.

I was a bit disappointed, it wasn't really in my best interests to find myself in nostalgic places. But I suppose it wouldn't kill me to pay a visit to this so called "paradise".

"Alright, thanks." Once we finally got docked, I allowed the other passengers to get off first. Many were still sick with the Stigma, so I suppose they were coming here to try and find solace from all the misery in the world.

I looked to my left and saw a pretty good number of people on the beach soaking up the sun, playing in the ocean or just fooling around in the sand.

Since I had some time on my hands, I took out my phone so I could call Cloud. The ringing went on and on, I already knew he wouldn't pick up so I just left a message.

_Please leave a message after the beep!_ Beep.

_Cloud. I wasn't able to uphold my promise to you, but I'm sure you already knew that. I found some leads towards getting more answers, so I had to follow through. I would say that I'm sorry about what I did, but this was bound to happen. I'm not meant for friends, it's just how fate has played her cruel cards for me. I hope you find what you're looking for._ Click.

Once that bit was over, I found myself in front of the Villa Cloud. The Villa Cloud. Seriously.

I held my face in my palm, remembering how Cloud spent **300,000 **Gil to buy this little resort home. Maybe he just didn't realize that money didn't grow off of trees.

Anyways, I grabbed the key out of the lantern beside the door and unlocked it. Inside, it was just as fresh looking as it was over a year and a half ago.

In fact, it was almost like it had been scented with the smell of dragon fruit. It was an interesting touch, but I went to my old room. Everything had been as I left it, plain and boring.

Right on the bed though, was the pair of black swimming shorts that Tifa, Yuffie and Aerith had gotten me the last time we were here. I grumbled, they would never listen to me when I say "DON'T get me anything".

Seeing as how I would have to shower again soon anyways, I slid off my clothes and put on only the shorts, a shirt to hide most of my scars and a pair of grey sandals.

* * *

I walked past the shops, some of the owners or workers waved at me. Girls bounced around in bikinis, guys were playing volleyball and kids were making sandcastles.

Sunlight glistened off the wrinkles in the ocean, softening the sand and playing host to the life underneath the surface. It should have been more appealing to me, but I just found it pretentious.

I took my shirt off and left it in the sand and merged myself with the water. The level kept rising until up to my chest was surrounded by the salt-filled water.

My eyes closed as I felt the cool sensation rinse my stress down. In my mind though, I could hear the words of Yuffie saying her words over and over again. _I never let anything I care about go…_

It wasn't just her either, the purple haired girl I saw in my dreams…was it really a dream? The more I thought about it, the more I wanted I know.

I got out of the ocean before my brain would explode from all the questions I needed to answer. The sun was going down, so I need to get back and finish showering, hopefully getting out of here.

"Looks like you've been busy." I stopped in my tracks. That deep voice… "You look well."

I closed my eyes for a moment and grinned a bit, "Vincent Valentine."

* * *

"So, what have you been doing this whole time?" I asked the dark man, resting his back against the wall of the villa, I packed my things to leave soon.

"Looking for information, trying to find the source of the Geostigma." He said, staying to himself before walking towards me.

"Any lu- guh!" His hand had rested on my chest where my Stigma was most rampant.

"Yours is getting worse, soon it will enter an advanced stage and feed off of your body. Corroding it, and finally destroying it." His red eyes looked at me more seriously as his hand caused me great pain.

My eyes started shaking uneasily until he let go, my body falling to the ground and I tried my best to breathe. "What…what the hell did you do that for?"

He crossed his arms, "I've slowed down the progression of the advanced stage. Perhaps it will give you enough time to survive for a cure to surface."

Perhaps. Nothing was certain about it, only death was certain. I sighed, "At this point, I don't care anymore if I live or die. It's all the same to me."  
Vincent remained unfazed by my remark, instead just remaining quiet and still like a statue.

Sometimes, he was easier to talk to than the others, that is if he does talk. Most of the time though, it was just as difficult like with Yuffie. One too talkative, and the other almost non-existent.

"At least you have it easy, you're immortal. Not being able to age doesn't have quite as many advantages as that." I remarked to him, before slowly getting back up. Great, now it was harder to breathe with this weight on my chest.

"Where are you going?" I asked him.

"The Forgotten Capital." Vincent said simply.

Ah, that place. That was where I last saw him, and the last thing he said to us. A simple and cold bye before disappearing. Effective.

The bells of the ship began ringing in the distance, meaning it was time for me to get going.

"Well that's my call, good luck." I held out my hand to shake his. He just shrugged it off and left, his red cloak wrapping around him.

Thanks a lot. I grabbed my things and ran back to the ship, getting on board to see the captain again.

"You made it, good. Alright, we're leaving for Wutai, so better settle in. It's gonna take about a week to get there. Hope you brought something to do." The captain laughed a bit, biting into an apple.

"Alright, see you." I shook my head and went back to my cabin.

A week was a long time on a ship, but it didn't matter. My body laid back on the hammock, putting my stuff on the floor beside me and holding Reaper in my hands. More uncertain dreams were bound to plague me, or nightmares would haunt me. What a choice.

My eyes closed wearily and I drifted away from reality.


End file.
